


Bloody Fingerprints

by ZuviosGemini



Series: Gobblepot Tumblr Prompts [11]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Death Fic, Future Fic, Love Confessions, M/M, Mod Boss Oswald
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 22:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3546785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZuviosGemini/pseuds/ZuviosGemini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oswald limped as fast as he could into the warehouse, the phone call he had just received ringing in his head.</p>
<p>"Boss, we have a problem. You better get in here."</p>
<p>Gabe opened the door for him and he saw a small group of his men standing in a circle around someone. He shoved them out of the way, heart stopping when he saw the someone was Jim.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bloody Fingerprints

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a prompt for an anon on tumblr: "Oswald sees Jim dying. gun shot? mobster? Doesn't die of old age." Read/like/reblog that [here.](http://driftsbodaciousthighs.tumblr.com/post/113486506224/)

Oswald limped as fast as he could into the warehouse, the phone call he had just received ringing in his head.

_Boss, we have a problem. You better get in here._

Gabe opened the door for him and he saw a small group of his men standing in a circle around someone. He shoved them out of the way, heart stopping when he saw the someone was Jim.

“Jim…” He said, kneeling next to him with some effort. His leg had been bothering him more than usual lately. Jim was still breathing but just barely. He heard Gabe tell the men to step back. 

“What happened?” Oswald said, his voice steady for once. The blood soaking through Jim’s jacket told him part of the story, but that didn’t tell him who was to blame.

“Some of Maroni’s men showed up, starting shooting.” One of his men said. “Then Gordon showed up and he caught a bullet. Not from any of us, from one of Maroni’s men. As soon as they saw they shot him, they amscrayed.”

Oswald clenched his jaw. Gabe told the men to go find something to do for a while, but to not leave the warehouse. Silently, he thanked his most trusted henchman.

He gently patted Jim’s face, saying his name again, swallowing around the panic that was trying to come screeching out of his throat. When Jim finally opened his eyes, they were unfocused but he eventually realized who he was looking at and snorted a laugh.

“Figured I’d be seeing you here.” He said, his voice rough. “Any time there’s a disturbance, your people are somehow involved.”

Oswald couldn’t find the strength to even smile. He knew Jim was a goner. The blood stain had grown to twice its original size since he had arrived. Not even calling an ambulance would save Jim Gordon.

“Really, Detective.” Oswald said. “Throwing accusations at a time like this?”

Jim gave him a sarcastic look that had become familiar over the years. With little hesitation, he took Jim’s hand, squeezing it. The detective gave him a small smile.

“I didn’t call for back up. That was my mistake. But—” Jim interrupted himself by coughing, a wet hacking sound that made Oswald wince. “But,” he said after he had sort of caught his breath, “I also maybe did it on purpose… just in case you were here.”

Oswald’s heart seized up. Jim couldn’t be saying what Oswald thought he was… could he?

“And why would that determine your decision on calling back up?” He asked. Jim’s little smile came back and he closed his eyes.

“You’ve grown on me over the years. I’ve got a soft spot for you now.” He admitted. “I’d hate to see you behind bars if I’m honest with myself, regardless of what you’ve done.”

Now Oswald was feeling the panic rise again. Jim’s voice was getting softer and softer the more he talked, and he moved so he could pull Jim into his lap.

“I appreciate that.” He said. Jim was dying in his arms and he couldn’t do anything about it. Jim was still smiling as he opened his eyes and looked up at Oswald, like he was the one who put the stars in the sky.

“I’m sorry I can’t save you, Jim.” Oswald choked on his words, his emotions starting to overwhelm him in spite of how badly he was trying to hold it together. “You deserve to live, but I can’t… do anything.” He bit out, jumping when Jim reached up and touched his face. The feeling of wet blood on his cheek didn’t faze him, but the fact that Jim was touching him threw him a bit.

“Don’t you blame yourself for this.” Jim said seriously, his eyes clear. “You didn’t have anything to do with this. It happened because it’s my job to get shot at. I just didn’t get out of the way fast enough this time.”

Oswald held Jim’s bloody hand to his face, hating the hot tears that rolled down his cheeks.

“Forgive me, Jim.” Oswald said around a half-sob, feeling guiltier as Jim smiled softly at him, his thumb rubbing gently at Oswald’s cheek.

“I’ll forgive you if you do something for me.”

“Anything. Anything you want.” Oswald said quickly, feeling the strength leaving Jim’s body as he laid in the mobster’s arms.

“Just admit that you’re in love with me and get it over with before I go.”

Oswald didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t that. He wasn’t fool enough to deny it to Jim’s face either, so he leaned down and gave Jim the gentlest of kisses.

“Once again, your detective skills are unparalleled.” He said. Jim rolled his eyes and let his hand fall from Oswald’s face back into his lap.

“Doesn’t take a detective to figure that out. You might as well have gotten my name tattooed on you.”

Oswald’s smile was short lived as Jim went into another coughing fit, blood spattering his lips this time.

“I’m sorry things turned out the way they did.” Oswald said, and Jim hacked a laugh.

“You’re doing a lot of apologizing. Come on, I don’t want the last thing I hear to be you saying ‘sorry’ to me.”

The mobster could only watch as Jim’s body sagged more and more, his breathing growing shallow.

“I’ll find them, Jim.” Oswald said, petting a hand through Jim’s hair. He had always liked Jim’s hair, had always dreamt of running his hand over it when it had been buzzed, and through it when Jim started growing it out. He hated that when he finally got his chance, it was to comfort him while he was dying.

“I’ll find the bastards who did this and I’ll make them pay.” He continued. Jim opened his eyes and gave Oswald one last smile.

“I know you will.”

Jim closed his eyes for the last time and Oswald let out a horrible sound as he went limp, watching Jim’s chest heave one last breath before going still. Oswald forgot about trying to stay tough in front of his men and clutched Jim to him, rocking his body back and forth as he cried.

Across the room, his men kept their heads down respectfully. They didn’t like most law enforcement officials, but their boss had trusted Gordon and now they knew he had actually loved him, so the least they could do was pay the fallen detective some respect.

Oswald calmed down enough to give Jim one last kiss on his forehead and lay him down gently, standing up and dusting his suit off. When he turned around, Gabe approached him carefully.

“I want the men who were here tonight brought to the club.” Oswald said, his voice too calm, too steady. His men wouldn’t look him in the eye when he turned to them next. His eyes were unusually bright, too focused. It was hard to look at him. The bloody fingerprints on his pale cheek only made him more terrifying to look at…

“Every single one of them. Bring them to me alive. I don’t care if they’re a little bloody, just.” A muscle in his jaw jumped and he made for the door, Gabe trailing after him.

“Find them. I’ll make them pay for what they did.”


End file.
